Mecaer Aviation Group (MAG) delivered the first Bell 505 Jet Ranger X outfitted with its MAGnificent VIP interior to an undisclosed Brazilian buyer at its Northeast Philadelphia Airport (PNE) facility earlier this month. The FAA, EASA, and Brazil’s ANAC awarded STCs for the optional interior in September. You won’t find it on static display, but the MAGnificent Bell 505 is attending NBAA 2018, based at an Orlando airport, and MAG representatives (Booth 1638) can arrange a viewing.
The upgraded interior for the five-seat light single includes all interior panels; seats (built up from standard frames) and leather upholstery; low-pile carpeting; and a rear passenger service unit with adjustable reading and mood lights, gaspers, and air conditioning outlets. It’s available in color palettes of soft whites, creams, blues, or grays. Small details add to the comfort and style: cup holders, coat hooks, smart device holders and leather-wrapped flight control boots. Customized logos can be embroidered onto headrests and engraved into door thresholds. An optional, removable center cabinet with small infotainment system can replace the middle of the three rear, forward-facing seats.
The installation kits are “100 percent produced in Italy at the Cabin Comfort Systems headquarters” in Monteprandone, Italy, said Maximo Pugnali, president, Mecaer Aviation Group, at the handover ceremony.
The interior borrows elements from the MAG VIP interiors created for the Bell 429 GlobalRanger light twin and forthcoming 525 Relentless, but “doing a smaller helicopter was a challenge,” said Pugnali. More sporty than plush, the installation brings panache to what is often a very personal helicopter, and weighing just 63 pounds, the option “will be a no-brainer” for VIP buyers, Pugnali said.
Of the 100 Jet Ranger Xs ordered thus far, 20 to 30 percent will get the interior upgrade, said Grayson Barrows, director of marketing and sales. With a significant percentage of owner-flown buyers, and flights by VIP purchasers typically lasting an hour at most, the lack of MAG’s signature SILENS and third-generation I-FEEL technology in the downscaled VIP cabin aren’t expected to dampen demand.
MAG will begin receiving multiple green 505s beginning with the next deliveries, expected by early next year, and will staff up for the extra work. Installation requires only three to five days, Barrows said.
The STC allows retrofits of legacy Jet Ranger Xs. MAG will perform some at PNE, but kits can be shipped to any Part 145 facility that has the Bell 505 on its capabilities list for installation.